


Hang in there

by SealedBox



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-26 06:44:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14396511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SealedBox/pseuds/SealedBox
Summary: Just when things are finally looking up for Cheryl, everything comes crashing down again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so I apologise if it's really bad. Warning: English isn't my first language and the chance of finding errors in this story is really high. Characters might be OOC for the sake of this story.  
> Please let me know what you think about this so far, it would mean a lot.

When Cheryl finally sorted things out with her mother, she quickly changed and took a shower in order to get back to school just in time. It took longer than she expected because it was quite difficult to get the blood-like liquid out of her hair. She silently cursed once she noticed that she was already running late. Luckily, the readhead was nearly done and ready to leave. Few moments later, Cheryl got into her car and sped away.

The play barely started, so the redheaded girl got to see Toni perform. She attempted to ignore the pang in her chest that her mother caused by not allowing her to take part in the play. However, Cheryl managed to push away the negative feelings as she watched her best friend performing. The way Toni's eyes lit up up there had a strange effect on Cheryl. The redhead didn't bother to fight it, but she was forced to contain herself when the play ended and she almost ran up to the girl and hugged. She casually clapped along with the audience.

The crowd slowly dissipated and Kevin headed to the backstage with Cheryl right behind him. The pair found the ensemble and the director congratulated and thanked them for an amazing performance. The redhead had different intentions, though. The girl she was looking for wasn't present so, naturally, she went to look for her. Cheryl didn't even have a chance at doing so because Toni appeared from behind the corner.

Once the girl with pink hair spotted her friend, she quickly made her way towards her. Cheryl didn't hesitate for a second and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl. Without even realising what she was doing, her head automatically rested on Toni's shoulder. However, after a couple of seconds her brain caught up and she quickly pulled away before the others noticed their position that was obviously more than friendly.

The redhead coughed nervously and smiled at Toni brightly. ''I'm sorry I missed the beginning. I had something I needed to take care of.''

The shorter girl tilted her head curiously. Her eyes held inquisitive, yet concerned expression. ''Is everything okay?''

''Yeah,'' Cheryl shortly said and sighed. ''My mother and I talked for a bit.''

''And?'' Toni inquired. There was something about the way her friend said it. When the redhead talked about her mother, the tone of her voice was usually laced with sadness. This time, she held her head high and her voice was strong.

''I'll tell you later. We're here to celebrate your outstanding performance,'' Cheryl cut it off, proudly watching how Toni slightly blushed.''You did amazing, T.T. I'm so proud of you.''

''Thanks. Such a shame you weren't with us, though. Not that Midge wasn't great but it wasn't the same without you in it,'' Toni complimented back.

A soft smile spread across Cheryl's face upon hearing Toni's confession. ''I think the invitation is in order. How about you get changed and then we'll head to Pop's? My treat.''

''Sounds like a plan,'' she accepted.

After that, she went to get changed into her regular clothes and returned few minutes later. Some of them were still in costumes when Kevin and Fangs decided to give them all a speech. The boys thanked them for everything and invited them all to a party the next. Apparently, they thought they deserved it after all the hard work they'd put in. The cast of the musical hung out for a bit more, still buzzing with excitement.

Cheryl and Toni took an advantage of it and snuck out to have some time alone. The young girls went outside to get some fresh air. The unspoken words still lingering in the air caused some tension but both of them didn't mind. The pair stopped in front of Toni's bike.

The thought of sitting on that dangerous vehicle made the tall girl uneasy. ''Actually, my car is right here. Let's use that instead.''

''Come on, Bombshell. You've never even tried it. Who knows? Maybe you'll actually enjoy it,'' Toni tried to convince her friend once again. Pleading look appeared on her face, knowing the redhead would have a hard time resisting it. The redhead dramatically rolled her eyes and sighed.

''Fine.'' The Serpent smiled and handed Cheryl a helmet.

The Serpent smirked, seeing that her plan was working so far.

''What about you?'' Cheryl asked Toni who was already seated on the bike.

Toni looked at her in confusion. ''What do you mean?''

''Where's your helmet?'' The redhead said, the concern in her voice evident.

''I don't really wear it,'' the Serpent shrugged like it was no big deal. ''I gave this to you just to be safe. Don't worry, Bombshell. I'll drive slow.''

Cheryl couldn't believe her own ears. She glanced at the beaten helmet in her arms and made a mental note to buy her a new one. There was no point in arguing with Toni, she trusted her completely and put the helmet on her head.

Once Cheryl was safely sitting behind Toni and her arms were tightly wrapped around her waist, the Serpent slowly drove away. The northsider had to admit she did enjoy it. Whether it was the ride or the fact that she was really close to Toni, she didn't know. It was probably both, Cheryl assumed.

The neon lights indicated they finally arrived, then the pair entered their favourite hang out place. The girls occupated a free booth and Cheryl ordered two milkshakes.

''I've been thinking about what you told me and I made an important decision. I am going to get emancipated. I talked about it with Archie's mom and she said she would help me.'' The redhead looked proud of herself for standing up to her mother. It was enough to put a smile on Toni's face.

As if on cue, Pops brought their order and the girls cheered on the statement.

''So,'' Toni began carefully, aware of the fact that Cheryl's mother was a sensitive subject. Whenever she and Cheryl talked, it was always a disaster on the young girl's end. ''What happened between you and your mother?''

The girl with red hair took a sip of her strawberry milkshake before replying, ''I cleared things up with her. Let's just say I might have kicked her out of Thistlehouse. Along with uncle Claudius.''

The Serpent choked on her chocolate milkshake, ''Really? How did you even do that?'' '

'Yeah,'' Cheryl confirmed with a chuckle. Her hand reached across the table to grab Toni's hand in her own. ''I might have gone batshit crazy on her. It worked, though. You should've seen her face.'' Toni laughed along with her.

''I'm really proud of you, Cheryl.'' The compliment warmed her heart.

''Talking about Thistlehouse, there's something I want to ask you.''

The pink haired girl felt a light squeeze of her hand and decided to encourage the obviously distressed girl in front of her. ''What it is?''

''Now that my mommy dearest and Claudius are gone, it'll just be me and nana Rose. I know the situation with you and your uncle is complicated, so I was wondering if you wanted to crush my house sometimes,'' Cheryl nervously offered, looking up at Toni only to see her staring at her with a look on her face she couldn't quite decipher. ''I mean, you completely don't have to do that. I'll understand.''

Cheryl was about to pull her hand away, but Toni managed to stop her in time. ''I would love to, Cheryl. Thank you. It means a lot.''

The redhead released an intake of breath she didn't know she was holding. ''I should be the one thanking you, Toni. If it wasn't for you, I would've been stuck in that hell hole that was my life. You made it million times better and I can't thank you enough.''

As soon as Toni spotted tears in her eyes, she decided to leave her seat and sat down next to Cheryl. Not really caring what people would think, she put her right arm around her waist and pulled her closer to her body. The redhead made herself comfortable and rested her head on Toni's shoulder. The Serpent took in the intoxicating smell that was Cheryl's shampoo. The member of a gang kissed her head and tried to calm down the girl in her arms when she heard a quiet sniffle. They remained in that position for a long time. The restaurant was relatively empty until almost everyone who contributed to the play came inside. Cheryl decided to finish her milkshake and returned to her previous position.

''Let's go somewhere quiet,'' Toni suggested. ''This place is getting a bit crowded.''

A couple of moments later, the girls found themselves on the bike again. Toni refused to tell where they were heading. Before Cheryl could blink, Toni pulled up in the middle of the woods.

The view in front of them was one of the most beautiful things Cheryl had ever seen. The full moon was reflecting on the river, the tall trees around them only magnified the sight. Toni approached her from behind and looked over at Cheryl who was taking in the beauty of nature at it's purest form. However, the sight paled in comparison to what Toni had in front of her. The way the moon's light glazed Cheryl made her look even more sensational. Her beautiful brown eyes were lit up and Toni saw something she had never seen before in them. The Serpent was deep in her thought that she failed to realise she was staring at Cheryl. Her barely visible smile never left her face.

''This is a really special place for me,'' Toni confessed. ''I always go there when I want to be alone and just think about things.''

Cheryl turned her head, so Toni knew she had her full attention.

''I brought you here because you're so special for me too and I want to share this with you,'' Toni cautiously watched the northsider's reaction, afraid she crossed a line.

She was scared she was moving too fast. Their little kiss happened almost two weeks ago and even though they acknowledged it, they never properly talked about their status. Their relationship was only blossoming and Toni decided give it a shot when she saw Cheryl was getting better. Ever since she got out of that toxic household, the northsider's mental health visibly improved. She had to use the money she had saved to pay for a hotel. Going back to that house never an option. The red headed girl glanced at the Serpent with adoration in her eyes. Toni put her hands into the pockets of her Serpent jacket and took a deep breath, closing the distance between the two of them.

Cheryl didn't back down. Both of them look into each other's eyes. The moonlight danced on their skin, their eyes shining like the moon itself.

''Toni? Can I ask you something?'' Cheryl asked, not breaking the eye contact.

''Sure,'' Toni gulped, finally realising how close they were standing.

''I think we can agree on the fact that we've been hanging out a lot lately and it was the best time of my life. Let's be honest, our encounters have never really been friendly and I was wondering,'' Cheryl made a dramatic pause and took a hold of Toni's hand, enlacing their fingers naturally.

''If you want to be my girlfriend.'' Instead of giving her a proper answer, she stood on her tiptoes to be able to reach Cheryl's lips. There was nothing that could make her look like she was the same height like last time. The pink haired girl captured her lips like it was for the first time. The kiss was tender, slow and natural. It didn't last long but it surely felt like a lifetime because the ginger stopped it before they could get any further. Toni pouted when she started to lean in again but was only met with the cold air.

''Is that a yes?'' Cheryl asked in a teasing manner. Her eyes were sparking in anticipation.

The Serpent pretended to think about her answer, ''Of course it's a yes, Cheryl. I would love to be your girlfriend. I was going to ask you the same thing.''

The girls then sat down on the ground, hand in hand. They just stared at the breathtaking scenery. Neither of them knew if the glory was intesified by the fact that they were simply with each other. Nobody was there to ruin the moment. All of their issues at home, sorrows taken away by the curent of the calm river. The young couple was together and nothing else mattered as long as they had each other. Toni leaned into Cheryl and she happily obligated, wrapping her arms around her tiny girfriend. They had no idea how long they were in this position. They refused to move, except for the times Toni had to crane her neck to steal kisses. Their content moment was interrupted by Toni's ringing phone. She groaned at the interruption but ignored it because it was a simple text message. The young Serpent didn't bother to move because the phone was located the bag that was next to her bike. However, she couldn't ignore it any longer. Her phone kept dinging every five seconds.

Both of them became really irritated, so Toni stood up and went over to her bike in order to turn off her phone. Fangs and Sweet Pea were messaging her like crazy because, according to their words, they were in serious trouble. She let them know she was on her way and put away the device.

She headed back to Cheryl and started explaining, ''it was just Fangs and Sweet Pea. Apparently, they're in deep trouble. Do you mind if I we call it a night tonight?''

''No problem, it's late and I'm really tired,'' Cheryl replied. ''They obviously need you. Although I would love to have my girlfriend by my side tonight. Nana Rose is still in the hospital and it's going to get lonely.''

''I'm really sorry,'' Toni looked away, guilt written all over her face.

''Don't worry about it, T.T. I mean it,'' Cheryl reassured the girl. ''I'll get to be with you tomorrow...and hopefully, many days after that.''

The Serpent smirked and nodded. Then the girls packed their things headed back to Thistlehouse. Cheryl held on to Toni for dear life since she was going over the speed limit. Luckily, the ride didn't take long and before they knew it, it was time to say good night. Toni parked in front of Cheryl's home. The lights were turned off as expected, now that Penelope and Claudius were out of the picture. The redhead found it weird how easy it was to throw them out, but she decided to let it go.

''Today was amazing,'' the taller girl began and silently wondered when she became this cheesy. Nonetheless, she smiled at the girl like she was the only thing in the world. The Serpent agreed with her statement.

''See you tomorrow?'' Cheryl nodded, placing her lips on Toni's in order to remember the feeling for the rest of the night. Then Toni walked off to her bike again,

''Cha-cha?'' she turned around upon hearing the nickname she gave her when they met for the first time. ''Let me know when you get back, okay? I'm not going to sleep until I know you're safe and sound.''

''Okay,'' she answered with a smile on her face, a warm feeling exploding in her chest. ''I was going to do it anyway.''

The Blossom watched her drive away and then headed back to her own, empty house. For the first time in forever, she felt like she could breathe inside that building she called home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your lovely comments and kudos on the first chapter! It means the world. Any comment is greatly appreciated and it keeps me going.

The next day, Toni woke up around the same time as she always did on the weekends. She usually spent the night from Friday to Saturday at Fangs' trailer and this time wasn't an exception. It was her routine. However, things were very different this time. The young Serpent had something to look forward to and that something was her new girlfriend.  
Her phone beeped, indicating she had a couple of unread messages, all from the girl who had stolen heart in a matter of few weeks. The texts that appeared on the screen were enough to put a smile on her face. Apparently, Cheryl wanted to see her before the party and Toni was more than happy to fulfill her girlfriend's wishes. She quickly replied that she had something to do in the morning, but she would get there as soon as possible. Luckily, Cheryl didn't make a big deal out of it and Toni sighed in relief. The young girl put her phone back on the table and started to get ready.

Right after she made herself look presentable without her usual supplies, Toni went to wake up her still sleeping friends. Both of them grunted when she poked them with her foot. Somehow, they were able to fall from the bed and didn't bother to get back up. The sight of them was quite humorous which was why a soft chuckle escaped her lips. That's what they got for drinking too much alcohol. Hangover is a bitch.

Fangs got drunk because he finally decided to confess his feelings for Kevin he had developed while helping him with the musical. Toni actually felt bad for her fellow gang member. He believed the feelings were at least a bit mutual, but the director of the school play proved him wrong. Needless to say, Fangs was crushed. So, in order to drown his sorrows, Sweet Pea took him to the Whyte Wyrm. 

The pink haired girl might have mentioned to her closest friends she had a crush on someone. It was partially Toni's fault and she sort of felt bad because of it. They made a promise that they would tell their crushes about how they feel about them after the musical. Unfortunately, it didn't go well like in Toni's case. From what he was able to tell her in his drunken state, she assumed Kevin gave him a cold shoulder or something. She didn't get to hear more because Sweet Pea managed to piss someone off and the tiny girl literally had to stop the fight that was bound to happen. The trio ended up with a couple of bruises here and there. It could've been worse. After the little misunderstanding that occured, Toni had to get them back to Fangs' trailer.

When neither of them showed a sign of moving from the uncomfortable ground, Toni had to take a drastic measures. She scanned her surroundings to find the perfect weapon. Her brown eyes spotted her goal, a mischevious smirk appearing on her face. 

With two full bottles of water, she kneeled down to them and poured a half of the contents of the bottle on them.

As soon as the cold water made contact with their skin, they jumped off the ground. 

''What the fuck, Topaz?'' Sweet Pea asked angrily, giving the girl a murderous glance. 

Toni rolled her eyes and put the bottles back. ''FP is waiting for us in his trailer. We're supposed to be here in twenty minutes, so hurry up.''

With that, the girl left the trailer, leaving both of her friends inside. She slowly made her way to the their place. Toni arrived a little bit earlier than expected and opened the door, only to find Jughead on the couch who was frantically working on his laptop. 

The boy didn't even bother to look up while he greeted her. He made a room for her on the couch and she sat down.

After a while, Jughead put away his device and looked at his friend. Toni didn't seem to notice his curious glance since she was too caught up with a conversation she was having someone on her phone. The curiousity got the better of him, so he attempted to peek over her shoulder in order to either confirm or refute his suspicions. However, his attempts were to no avail because Toni saw him and covered the screen just in time.

''What's so funny?'' a smile that appeared on the girl's face made him ask.

Toni put her phone back into the pocket of her Serpent jacket. ''None of your business,'' she decided to shut him down. ''Anyway, where's FP and why did he call us over?''

''I don't know. He didn't tell me either but he looked pissed,'' Jughead shrugged. ''He had to unexpectedly go the Whyte Wyrm to take care of something, so make yourself comfortable. It might take some time.''

''Great, just what I needed,'' Toni murmured under her breath, unfortunately it wasn't quiet enough.

''Going somewhere?'' He didn't bother to hide his smirk.

''If I did I wouldn't tell you,'' she cautiously answered, afraid of his reaction if she told him the truth. The girl was aware of how things were between the two of them.

''I see,'' his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Her reactions were making it way too easy for him. ''There's something I have to tell you.''

Toni made an eye contact with him. ''What is it?''

''Kevin wanted me to put together the videos I recorded so he could show it at the party and there was something that certainly caught my attention,'' he explained.

Then, Jughead retrieved his laptop and put it on his lap. Toni decided to keep her mouth shut for that moment, not really wanting to give anything away because she believed she knew where this was going.

''I found some incriminating evidence,'' he paused before continuing, ''that revolves around you and a certain redhead.'' 

''What are you talking about?'' Toni could feel heart her speeding up a little. What he could possibly know about her was making her kind of anxious.

''Toni, is there something going on between you and Cheryl?'' He asked, his voice neutral. ''As I was going through my material I saw the way you look at Cheryl on multiple occasions. Especially after she performed her song.''

The Serpent didn't know how to answer that question. The last thing she wanted to was out Cheryl to even more people she already had. She barely managed to convince Kevin and Veronica that Penelope chose to send Cheryl to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy because of how close the two girls had become and, according to her words, her only child needed to be fixed. Whether Kevin believed it or not, she didn't know. However, the young couple wasn't exactly subtle about it since they held hands the entire time. She figured he knew there was some special connection, as well as Veronica. Veronica saw them kiss after all. Neither of them had never brought it up and she was grateful. 

''And what if I do?'' The female Serpent gave up. Jughead already knew and there was no point in denying her feelings. She wasn't going to mention the other girl's feelings. Outing her was not an option.

''Are you sure?'' his voice was gentle. It was something he rarely used with someone who wasn't Betty. His expression varied, it went from confusion to sympathy to something the pink haired girl failed to read.

''Yes, I am,'' Toni confirmed. Her feelings for Cheryl were very strong.

Jughead put his laptop away once again, ''This little crush you have on Cheryl isn't going to last, Toni.''

''And how would you know?'' his statement peaked her interest even more. She crossed arms over her chest, slowly getting irritated by his assumptions.

''I don't, but I've known Cheryl for a really long time to know that the ice queen herself isn't capable of loving someone besides her.''

''You have no right to talk about her like this,'' she was quick to defend her secret girlfriend. ''You don't know her at all.''

''I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all,'' a sigh left Jughead's lips. ''I know you've been hanging out a lot but I still want you to be careful. That girl is not stable.''

Toni looked at her fellow Serpent in disbelief. She couldn't believe her own ears, ''Excuse me? Cheryl's been through hell and you dare to call her unstable? Do you even realise what kind of shit she's had to deal with?''

''Hey, you don't have to get offended,'' the boy put his arms up in surrender upon seeing his friend's current mood. ''Serpents are supposed to look after each other and that's what I'm doing by warning you,'' he went on with words that he would regret once he saw her concerned expression, ''Hell, she even went as far as trying to-''

Toni interrupted him, ''She tried do what, Jughead?''

''Don't you know?'' he asked quietly, regretting everything he'd said. 

His friend waited patiently for him to continue, ''I can't answer if you're not gonna tell me what happened.''

Jughead took a deep breath before revealing something Toni probably didn't know, ''She tried to commit suicide not too long ago. By jumping into the Sweet Water river.''

A feeling of guilt overwhelmed her tiny body. The young girl felt bad for not coming into Cheryl's life sooner. Although she knew there was nothing she could really do about it, she still felt that gut wrenching feeling. 

''What?'' was all she could say at that moment. 

''It was after her dad's funeral. She started acting differently after that,'' he paused. ''Cheryl even gave me her spider brooch.''

''Did you do something to help her?'' Toni asked curiously, scared of hearing the answer.

The Serpent prince shrugged, ''We stopped her from actually doing it.''

''And what happened next?'' she gritted her teeth.

''Nothing, really. Veronica took her home and then Thornhill got burned down,'' Jughead replied with caution. He noticed the spark in her eyes. Definitely a bad sign.

''Let me get this straight,'' Toni began. Cheryl did tell her she burnt her house, she never mentioned that crucial part of the story. However, she did tell her she was at Veronica's for a while before that. ''The four of you knew how she was feeling, you stopped her from killing herself but you still took off to bang Betty?''

''What? No,'' Jughead's attempts of defending were pointless. ''I mean, I did leave with Betty but it's not like Cheryl wanted our help.''

Toni snorted, ''And you left her alone? DId you even take her to the hospital? Did you even bother to get her some help?''

''I already told you Cheryl didn't want any of that.''

''Of course not! She never reaches out because she sees it as a sign of weakness! For someone who's supposed to be smart, you're pretty dense sometimes. You shouldn't have left her alone when she was hurting!'' Toni was getting worked up real fast.

''Well, I'm sorry I have my own problems I have to deal with. My dad was in jail at that time, remember?'' Jughead answered with the same level of irritation in his voice. 

''I know but trying to reach out to her from time to time wouldn't hurt,'' Toni retaliated. 

''If she wasn't a bitch all the time, then maybe people would actually want to talk to her,'' he said, the fire in his eyes matching Toni's.

''Shut your mouth, Jones,'' the tiny girl was about to launch at him if somebody's strong arms didn't stop her.

''Woah, what the hell is going on here?'' a third voice that belonged to Sweet Pea entered their conversation. ''The whole Southside can hear you trying to kill each other.''

''Nothing,'' Toni tried to regain her usual cool composure.

Sweet Pea removed his hands from Toni's waist and put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. He knew that his little friend he considered his sister rarely lost it like she had few moments earlier. She was always the level-headed one in their little group. People could get to see the angry side of her only when she was protecting the ones she loved dearly. 

''If you say so,'' he let that go for that moment. He looked over at Fangs who was obviously thinking the same thing. They were going to talk about it with her after the meaning.  
The tension could be cut with a knife, even when FP finally arrived after a few moments later. The eldest man ignored the murderous glances Toni and his son were giving each other and went on with what he had to say. 

After the meeting ended and FP gave them some task Toni didn't really care about, she fled out of the trailer heading straight to her bike. She didn't feel like talking to the boys. The Serpent's only wish was to get to her girl and make sure she felt loved. Especially after what Jughead told her. The simple thought of Jughead and his three Northside friends made her tighten the grip on the helmet she was holding.

''Antoinette!'' she knew that voice really well. It was her grandfather's. He wasn't alone, though. The man was accompanied by her uncle. She internally rolled her eyes when she noticed the sly smirk on the younger man's face.

''I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'm already late,'' Toni said, using a fake sweet tone.

''We need talk now,'' her uncle said dismissively.

Toni whined before agreeing to their plan, ''Fine. You have five minutes.''

 

Cheryl was already at the party but she wasn't enjoying herself as much as she thought she would be. The boredom was getting to her because she didn't want to talk to anyone besides Josie. Nobody but the singer acknowledged her presence. Literally every single person was too busy talking to their significant other. The sight of it made her realise how much she missed her girlfriend. Toni told her she was too busy with Serpent stuff and she accepted it. Unfortunately, the redhead hadn't heard from her since that morning. There was nothing she could do but doubt Toni's loyalty. It wasn't like she didn't trust Toni but her mother's voice in the back of her head reminded her nobody could ever possibly love her. Her heart clenched as the possibility of Toni's regretting accepting to be her girlfriend crossed her mind. Cheryl tried to get it out of her head. She really did. Toni wasn't that kind of person. It was even more difficult to push away when she spotted Sweet Pea talking to Jughead in the corner of the room. 

The redhead contemplated her next steps for the next ten minutes. Then, she took a sip of her cherry cola for courage and headed to the boys. 

''Hello, boys,'' she started with a cheerful voice and went straight to the point. 

Sweet Pea greeted her back while Jughead simply nodded to acknowledge her presence.

''Where's your girlfriend?'' Jughead asked bitterly.

Cheryl seemed to be taken back by his response. ''What do you mean?''

''I meant Toni. Shouldn't she be with you?'' 

''Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing,'' concern was more prominent feeling at that moment. ''She said you had a meeting and that she would be here right afterwards.''

Sweet Pea's attention quickly shifted to the redhead, ''Wait, she's not there yet?''

''No and I still haven't heard from her,'' Cheryl replied anxiously. ''She's not picking up her phone.''

''We saw her talking to her family, so maybe she got caught up and lost track of time,'' he grabbed his phone and dialed Fangs' number. ''I'll call him to see if she's still on the Southside.''

After a couple of minutes, the four of them had a bad feeling about this, so Fangs promised to look for her and ask Toni's grandfather about her whereabouts. 

Jughead softened when he could finally see the distress on Cheryl's face. Maybe he was wrong. ''Hey, it's okay. She's gonna show up soon.''

Cheryl appreciated Jughead's gesture and looked at him. ''Yeah. I hope so.''

After half an hour of the endless waiting, they finally got the call back. Sweet Pea picked up the phone like his life depended on it. 

Both Jughead and Cheryl watched his face changing expression with every word that Fangs told him over the phone. The tall Serpent said goodbye and hung up.  
''So? What did he say?'' the redhead inquired. 

''Fangs talked to her grandfather and he told him Toni did leave the Southside after their little chat and it's been three hours. He's been looking for her the whole time but she's nowhere to be found. Fangs even called some people and nobody's seen her since yesterday,'' he blurted out quickly.

''What are we waiting for? Let's go and look for her!'' Jughead ordered.

The three of them frantically packed their things and made their way towards the exit. It didn't go unnoticed by three of Jughead's friends and Josie. The blonde followed her boyfriend with a confused look on her face.

''Juggie?'' she yelled over the loud music. ''Where are you going?''

''We're gonna look for Toni. She disappeared,'' he answered.

Archie and Betty glanced at each other, ''Can we help you? If all of us look for her, we'll find her sooner.''

''I agree with cousin Betty, so let's get out of here. There's no time to lose,'' Cheryl commanded the group of people. She was having a mental breakdown on the inside. Her sixth sense told her something was terribly wrong. 

The gang was about to exit the building but Sweet Pea stopped them from leaving. ''Wait! I got a message from her.''

''What did she say?'' the redhead felt relief washing over her body.

''It says she's busy and that we shouldn't wait for her. Have fun without me,'' the Serpent read the text message. ''That's weird.''

''Yeah, we're still going. Something smells fishy,'' Jughead concluded, tugging on his beanie.

Cheryl took his phone and scanned the message, ''That's bullshit. Toni doesn't type like that.''

As soon as those few words escaped Cheryl's lips, all of them went outside, got into their vehicles and each of them heading in a different direction in the hope they were making a big deal out of nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think about this story so far. Also, what do you think that happened to Toni? I would love to hear your theories. Have a beautiful day :)


End file.
